Isolated electrothermal capsulorrhaphy in overhand athletes

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of arthroscopic electrothermal capsulorrhaphy for the treatment of instability in overhand athletes. Electrothermal capsulorrhaphy without labral repair was used to treat 20 symptomatic overhand athletes (15 baseball, 3 softball, and 2 volleyball). Nineteen patients were evaluated at a mean of 23 months. Overall Rowe results were 10 excellent, 4 good, 2 fair, and 3 poor, with a mean score of 82. The overall mean American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score was 85.7 (mean pain score, 42.2; mean score for activities of daily living, 43.5). Two failures (ten percent) required open shoulder stabilization. Ten athletes returned to their prior level of sport, three returned to a lower level, and six were unable to return to their sport. These preliminary results indicate that treatment of the overhand athlete with isolated electrothermal capsulorrhaphy is favorable but does not reproduce the success of open surgery. Overall recurrence and failure rates were high. Instability in overhand athletes may require something other than isolated electrothermal capsulorrhaphy to address laxity.